On Windows computers, startup programs are a frequent cause of slow down — startup slow down, perhaps. Of all those apps that Aunt Betty has downloaded and installed, a large number have unilaterally decided they’re important enough to run every time the computer starts. The consequence, of course, is that the computer now takes five minutes to ‘sort itself out’ and be ready to use after hitting the power button.

On the Mac, apps tend to be slightly better citizens about not starting up on each boot without a good reason — or without asking you first, and it’s usually easier to take control of the situation, but it can still be worth taking a look at what’s in this list if you’re having problems, or just want to see what is going on with your Mac.

So, in this article, I’ll be examining startup items in Mac OS X and showing you how to take control over what gets to run right after that familiar chime. [Read more…]